Sho-nuff may sneer at Leroy’s “mumbo-jumbo”, but he’s obsessed with kung fu action movies too. In fact, in the world of The Last Dragon, everybody, just about, is engaged in cross-cultural appropriation.

Like Sho-nuff, the movie laughs at Leroy’s goofy effort to turn himself into someone he’s not. To which the evil but hip martial arts master Sho-nuff (Julius Carry III) responds, “See, now it is mumbo jumbo like that, and skinny little lizards like you thinkin’ they the last dragon that gives kung fu a bad name.” “Those who are bound by desire see only that which can be held in their hands,” he declares with stilted calm. He even adopts careful, overly perfect English, which makes him sound like an (uptight) foreigner in his own city. Not only does he become an expert in martial arts, but he also dresses in Chinese garb like Lee, complete with a wide-brimmed hat. Leroy, the protagonist, is a young black man obsessed with Bruce Lee. The image switch is also satisfying because it fits so neatly into The Last Dragon’s joyful celebration of image switching.

Prince protege